The Clippers have gone through an upheaval with Chris Paul, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac. Their injury list that has Bradley Beal puts them on shaky footing. They hosted a glamorous All-Star Weekend and Kawhi Leonard was the surprise star of it. The team’s basically been on a typical regular season rollercoaster that we forget they’re facing a major shakeup. The blade from the Aspiration scandal still dangles over their heads. With the All-Star festivities officially over, NBA insider Tom Haberstroh suggests that the league is now entering a critical window where Adam Silver may finally “drop the hammer” on the LA Clippers.

The phase after the trade deadline and All-Star weekend is not only a critical stretch for teams to bolster their postseason chances. Right now, the commissioner’s office is on the clock. Months ago, analysts said that investigations into something like Pablo Torre’s expose can take an entire season. In that time, if the Clippers make a deep postseason run or even clinch a title, a major point gets made.

That is the background that could factor into Silver’s decision on the Clippers, according to Haberstroh. “A forced sale would be quite the dramatic move by Adam Silver. I don’t suspect that is going to happen because Steve Ballmer is the richest owner in sports and he’s one of the richest owners in America,” Haberstroh noted, dismissing rumors that Ballmer could be forced out like his predecessor, Donald Sterling or even how Robert Sarver left the Phoenix Suns ownership.

After Ballmer hosted the All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome, Haberstroh claims its unlikely that the NBA will enforce the sale of the Clippers. He also underlined Ballmer’s personal friendship with Silver puts the commissioner in a difficult position. When Silver succeeded David Stern, one of the first things he did was revamp the Clippers organization in the post-Sterling era, and Ballmer was key to that.

So Silver might have to get creative with the punishment. “Maybe it’s a case where Adam Silver levies some sort of punishments [sic], whether it’s forcing Kawhi Leonard’s contract to be invalidated.”

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And there’s precedent for this. Haberstroh pointed to when Stern invalidated Joe Smith’s Timberwolves contract in 2000. That could be a blueprint for the league to dismantle the Clippers’ current roster structure if the allegations of “no-show” corporate payments are proven.

Could Steve Ballmer be banned from his own arena

While he went viral for screaming on the microphone at the All-Star Game, some fans joked that it might be the last time he’s in the Intuit Dome. Whatever crystal ball told them that might be spot on.

The investigation, sparked by investigative journalist Pablo Torre, alleges that the Clippers used the defunct startup, Aspiration, to funnel nearly $28 million in off-the-books payments to Kawhi Leonard. While the team remains in the play-in hunt, the threat of contract invalidation looms large. Haberstroh warns that voiding the contract of a six-time All-Star could backfire for the NBA.

“The interesting thing on that is it provides a conundrum where I think if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re going to see a frenzy for his services with the likes of the Lakers, … the Golden State Warriors, or the New York Knicks… That actually, I think, would create more hysteria and chaos around the league than actually forcing the Clippers’ hand.”

Beyond the roster, the “hammer” could strike Steve Ballmer personally. Despite his $145 billion net worth making fines irrelevant, Haberstroh suggests a more psychological penalty. “Banning Steve Ballmer from the arena, I think, would be the most hurtful in terms of punishing Steve Ballmer… If you’re essentially saying you can’t enter your own arena and sit courtside, I think that would be a huge hit to Steve Ballmer’s, ego.”

The NBA has reportedly brought in a third party to pore over documents from Aspiration’s bankruptcy filings. Among the many things they would have to investigate is if Ballmer knowingly circumvented the cap rules.

As the playoffs inch closer, Adam Silver is under pressure to set an example for other teams. Even if it means benching the league’s most animated governor.